Chandigarh, August 29: Eight candidates, including three women, will contest the post of president of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC), elections for which are scheduled on September 3. The university authorities declared the final list of candidates on Thursday evening after a delay of several hours.
Those in the fray for the top post include Ardas from UIFT, Gaurav Veer Sohal and Parabjot Singh Gill from the Department of Law, Jobanpreet Singh from the Department of Philosophy, Mankirat Singh Mann and Seerat from UIET, Navneet Kaur from UILS and Sumit Kumar from the Department of Geography.
Sumit Kumar, backed by outgoing president Anurag Dalal, will lead a coalition of rebel groups under the banner of Student Front and Himachal Students’ Union (HIMSU). The alliance also includes ABVP Front, a group formed by former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members, and a faction of the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU). His panel will field Abhishek Dagar for secretary and Sidharth Boora for joint secretary. The coalition, comprising five outfits — Student Front, ABVP Front, SOPU, PUSU and HIMSU — has projected itself as a rebel front. Dalal himself had won last year’s election as an independent after rebelling against the NSUI.
Among other contestants, Sath has fielded Ashmeet Singh for vice-president, while NSUI rebel Navdeep Singh and Esha Chander are contesting as independents. Jatin Kamboj will represent the University Students’ Organisation (USO). The Association of Students for Academic Progress (ASAP) has nominated Komal Preet Kaur for secretary. The Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO), contesting just one post, has fielded Vishesh Anand Dhaka. Haryana Students’ Association (HAS) has nominated Sahil Jangra, while Jatin Dagar represents ISO. For the joint secretary’s post, NSUI rebel Saar Khatri and Mohit Manderana are in the fray as independents, while Aryan Verma is contesting from Himachal Pradesh Students’ Union (HPSU).
The final list of candidates, which should have been published at 2:30 p.m., was released only at 7:30 p.m. Sources said authorities had to hold multiple meetings as objections were raised over the eligibility of candidates with reappear examinations. While their candidatures were eventually cleared, the scrutiny delayed the announcement.
Meanwhile, Panjab University has clarified that all teaching departments, institutes and centres will remain open on August 30. The university will instead observe a holiday on September 4, a day after the elections, with the timetable of September 4 to be followed on August 30.
Observers expect the results to produce a mixed council, as the main political groups are contesting largely at the presidential level, leaving independents and rebels to dominate other key positions. This unusual alignment, insiders say, could force larger student organisations to reconsider their strategies and seek broader alliances.
